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May 26, 2003

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Big-Time Boxing Crossover In The Works?Briggs Is Game, But Needs More Time

How close is heavyweight boxer Shannon Briggs to entering mixed martial arts competition? Paying heed to every half-baked rambling on the Internet these days, you’d think the 6’4" dreadlocked knockout machine would be stepping into the UFC’s Octagon tomorrow. But, back here in the world of reality, Full Contact Fighter has the exclusive word on Briggs’ potential career in the sport.

A spokesperson for Briggs’ management team at American Top Team had this to say today regarding premature accounts announcing that Briggs has indeed signed a deal with the UFC to fight on their next card. "No, he hasn’t. Shannon is very interested in competing in MMA. Right now the pro boxing is his main focus, but he is interested in doing it — just not quite yet. He doesn’t quite think he is at the level he needs to be to participate in MMA at the level of the UFC.":

Taken from an extensive FCF interview conducted with Mr. Briggs last Wednesday, the 37-4-1 professional boxer verified his current status with the sport:

FCF:How serious are the rumors that you will be competing in MMA in the future?SB: Very serious, as for as me fighting MMA. Hopefully, some time this year if not early next year. I think a lot of people are anticipating it a lot sooner than it’s actually gonna to happen, but it’s gonna happen for sure without a doubt. I’m training with American Top Team at their new facility… It’s great for me to be training with them for my boxing career and for my future and potential MMA career.

FCF:Where are you in this process? Have there been any talks with the UFC or any other MMA promotions? Any contracts introduced? Any potential opponents named?SB: I’d like to first begin by saying that I am a white belt [laughs heartily], and I don’t see at any time in the near future that I will be advancing because the American Top Team trainers are very hard. [Ricardo] Liborio, Marcelo Silveira, and Conan [Silveira]– these guys are very serious about jiu-jitsu training and MMA. So, I’m just working hard and unfortunately with my boxing schedule, it’s hard to train MMA everyday with the injuries and being on the mat. But like I said, I’m very serious about it. I love it. It’s something that I look forward to doing.

As part of the two-hour long interview, Briggs also gave details on his last year of training with Florida’s American Top Team, talked about which MMA promoters have approached him for employment, named who he’d like to square off against first, and commented on the boxing skills used by various fighters in MMA today. The interview, conducted by this very reporter, will appear in its entirety in the June issue of Full Contact Fighter.

posted by Full Contact Fighter @ 8:00 pm

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